Seoul/Tokyo, Sept. 20 (Jiji Press)–North Korea fired two ballistic missiles toward the Sea of Japan from around Wonsan, Kangwon Province, at around 3 p.m. and 5:50 p.m. Sunday, according to the South Korean military. Both missiles are believed to have fallen into waters outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone, according to Japan’s Defense Ministry. The first missile traveled about 440 kilometers, reaching a maximum altitude of about 60 km, and the second one traveled about 590 km, reaching a maximum altitude of about 70 km. No damage to ships or aircraft has been confirmed. Speaking to reporters following the launches, Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi revealed that the government has lodged a strict protest with North Korea through embassy channels in Beijing. “Ballistic missile launches violate related U.N. Security Council resolutions and a serious problem concerning the safety of our people,” Koizumi said. In a statement on Thursday, Kim Yo Jong, chief of the General Affairs Department of the Workers’ Party of Korea, threatened countermeasures against recent joint defense drills among the United States, Japan, South Korea and others. On Sept. 12, North Korea also fired ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan. The country’s state-run Korean Central News Agency has reported that firepower attack training involving attack drones, strategic cruise missiles and other weapons was conducted that day. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
